Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew Mark and Luke John Calvin (continued)
HARMONY OF THE EVANGELISTS
(Ephesians 2:3,) it follows, that we are by nature condemned and ruined: and the ground of our condemnation is, that we are chargeable with unrighteousness. There is, therefore, no other provision for escaping eternal death81 but by God
"reconciling us unto himself, not imputing our trespasses unto us," (2 Corinthians 5:19.)
That this is the only righteousness which remains to us before God, may be easily gathered from the words of Zacharias. For whence comes salvation, but from righteousness? But if the children of God have no other way of obtaining the knowledge of salvation except through the forgiveness of sins, it follows, that righteousness must not be sought in any other quarter. Proud men attempt to forge and manufacture a righteousness out of the merits of good works. True righteousness is nothing else than the imputation of righteousness, when God, out of free grace, acquits us from guilt. Besides, it ought to be observed that Zacharias is not speaking of "strangers from the covenants of promise," (Ephesians 2:12) but of the people of God. Hence it follows, that not only does the commencement of righteousness depend on the forgiveness of sins, but it is by imputation82 that believers are righteous before God to the very end: for they cannot appear before his tribunal in any other way than by betaking themselves daily to a free reconciliation.
78. Through the bowels83 of mercy In so great a benefit Zacharias justly extols the mercy of God, and not satisfied with merely calling it the salvation which was brought by Christ, he employs more emphatic language, and says that it proceeded from the very bowels of the mercy of God. He then tells us metaphorically, that the great mercy of God has made the day to give light to those who were sitting in darkness Oriens, in the Latin version of this passage, is not a participle: for the Greek word is {ἀνατολή}, that is, the Eastern region, as contrasted with the West. Zacharias extols the mercy of God, as manifested in dispelling the darkness of death, and restoring to the people of God the light of life. In this way, whenever our salvation is the subject, we ought to raise our minds to the contemplation of the divine mercy. There appears to be an allusion to a prediction of Malachi, in which Christ is called "the Sun of Righteousness," and is said to "arise with healing in his wing," (Malachi 4:2,) that is, to bring health in his rays.
79. That he might give light to those who were sitting in darkness As to light and darkness, there are similar modes of expression in Isaiah: such as,
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined," (Isaiah 9:1;) and in many other passages. These words show, that out of Christ there
81"Mortis;" — "La mort mortelle." 82"Imputative, ut italoquar." — "Par imputation, c'est a dire, d'autant que la justice de Christ laur est imputee." — "By imputation, that is to say, in so far as the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to them"
83"Par les entrailles de la misericorde, ou, par l'affection misericordieuse." — "By the bowels of mercy, or, by the merciful affection."